Tahmina Talks Immigration®

Allison Sillberberg Allison Sillberberg joins Tahmina on this episode to discuss Allison's experience as the Mayor of Alexandria, Virginia and the intersection between local governance and immigration. A Public Affairs and Public Policy consultant and writer, Allison Silberberg served as the Mayor of Alexandria, Virginia, from 2016 to 2019. She served as Vice Mayor from 2013 to 2016. In 2023,...

In this episode, Damali Peterman shares vital tips and tricks for running a robust business. Tahmina and Damali speak about utilizing entrepreneurial “superpowers” and their start-up journeys.  Damali Peterman is a trailblazing conflict resolution expert, award-winning bestselling author, and CEO of BreakthroughADR, a global firm transforming how individuals and organizations navigate conflict and...

In this episode Tahmina is joined by Ruchika Malhotra Tahmina Talks Immigration and The Startup Visa podcast series are produced and edited by Tamanna Jahan.  Special thanks to our series sponsor, Pinnacle Plan Writing for making these episodes possible. You can visit their website at https://www.pinnacleplanwriting.com/ Check out Tahmina’s books at www.tahminawatson.com and our startup visa serie...

* Note- this event was held earlier in the year of 2025. We published the episode in December 2025. The policies were updated by USCIS in October 2025- with a new set of civics questions and adjudication standards. The application process and forms remain the same so the episode remains timely and relevant. Just ensure you check updated policies on the USCIS website.  Given the challenges of 2025,...

Efren Hernandez, a life long USCIS policy leader, now working in the private sector sits down with Tahmina to discuss the shocking $100,000 fee imposed on H-1B visas.  Efren Hernandez is the Founder of EH3 Immigration Consulting. He is an immigration lawyer with 32 years of experience in the field, the vast majority at the former INS and at USCIS. While he has seen and done just about everything i...

Given the various challenges in the United States, many U.S. residents are seeking information on how to immigrate to Canada. Tahmina speaks with David Kika, an immigration expert practicing Canadian immigration law.  David Kika is a seasoned business immigration professional based in North Vancouver, BC, with deep expertise in Canadian and international immigration pathways. He supports clients w...

Senator Vandana Slatter helped pass state funding for a Washington State immigrant entrepreneur program, one of a handful in the entire country. Tahmina sits down to speak with her.  Senator Vandana Slatter (D–WA 48th District) is a pharmacist, biotech professional, and trailblazing lawmaker who brings science, compassion, and equity to public service. Currently Vice Chair of the Senate Environmen...

This is an episode shared from The Startup Visa podcast that will be useful for our listeners.  In this episode, our guest is Chris Bloomquist. He is a 20-year veteran of the technology industry, a 2-time startup founder, and expanding into the climate and environmental recruiting industries.  He has a passion to tell the stories of impactful environmental organizations, leveraging his executive l...

In this episode, Jordan Lawrence is the EB5AN Director of Business Development. In this role, he structures EB-5 project offerings and develops new strategic relationships. Jordan most recently served as the Director of Operations at Houston EB5. He has over five years of experience in the real estate finance and development industries, online marketing, and international business development. You...

In this episode of Tahmina Talks Immigration, I speak with Clive Stafford Smith- British American Human Rights Lawyer who is an expert on Guantanamo Bay detained cases having represented over 80 detainees held at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.  He specialises in the areas of civil rights and working against the death penalty in the United States of America. He worked to overturn death sentence...

 Amanda DuBois is the founder and managing partner of DuBois Levias Law Group, a woman-owned boutique family law firm in Seattle. Before practicing law, she was a high-risk labor and delivery nurse at the University of Washington Medical Center, a background that informs her legal work and fuels her passion for social justice. Over the past thirty years, DuBois has represented thousands of clients...

Thank you so much for tuning into Tahmina Talks Immigration, with your host, Tahmina Watson . In this episode, I am honored to speak with Melanie Gladstone , director of Lakewood Playhouse's performance of The Diary of Anne Frank , and Nicole Lockett , cast member playing Edith Frank. The show runs April 15th to May 8th  on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and select Thursdays at the Lakewood Pla...

Thank you for tuning in to The Startup Visa Podcast . In this episode, I am honored to speak with Sridhar Katta, CEO and Founder of TruVs.com . TruVs Inc, is a modern business and technology consulting company. They help their customers modernize their business operations using world class business processes and cutting edge technologies. Hear Sridhar share about his immigrant entrepreneur experie...

Thank you for tuning in to The Startup Visa Podcast . In this episode, I am honored to speak with Marko Issever , CEO and Founder of America EB5 Visa . America EB-5 Visa aims to connect international investors aiming to immigrate to the United States while making a meaningful financial contribution in the form of an investment, typically on a real estate project with seekers of these investments....

Thank you for tuning in to The Startup Visa Podcast. In this episode, I am honored to speak with Gavin Johnson , Attorney at Immix Law . As both an entrepreneur and business attorney with an active presence within the Washington State startup scene, Gavin assists clients from early concept stage to clients navigating complex mergers and acquisitions. With his legal and business experience, Gavin f...

Thank you for tuning in to The Startup Visa Podcast (all episodes linked here ). In this episode, I am honored to speak with Jeremy L. Neufeld, Senior Immigration Fellow at Institute for Progress . Previously, he was an immigration policy analyst at the Niskanen Center. His work has been cited in numerous outlets including the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and MSNBC. He grad...

Thank you for tuning in to The Startup Visa Podcast (all episodes linked here ). In this episode, I am honored to speak with William Dean , VP of Immigration at Masterplans . William has frequently been a featured panelist at the EB-5 Investors Conference, having spoken on direct investment, business visa options, and franchising. He is also a contributing author to the magazine, writing about job...

Thank you for tuning in to Tahmina Talks Immigration. In this episode, I am honored to speak with Shashi Vijay , Principal Attorney at VJ Law Firm, and friends Ravi Bulusu and Venkatram Reddy Ravi. Shashi founded VJ Law Firm in Fall 2010 with a simple vision: Provide fast, affordable legal services to individuals, families and small-businesses in the Seattle Eastside. She is also the founding memb...

Thank you for tuning in to Tahmina Talks Immigration. This episode is a clip taken from Gener8or's webinar on the International Entrepreneur Rule. Gener8tor is a turnkey platform for the creative economy that connects startup founders, musicians, artists, investors, universities, and corporations. The gener8tor platform includes pre-accelerators, accelerators, corporate programming, conferenc...

Thank you for tuning in to Tahmina Talks Immigration. Today I have the honor of speaking with Jordan Lawrence , Business Development Associate as Houston EB-5. Developing new relationships with partners in the immigration investment industry is at the heart of what Jordan Lawrence does. Cultivating a network that spans attorneys, wealth managers, international realtors, private bankers and more, M...

Thank you for tuning in to Tahmina Talks Immigration.  This episode is a clip taken from the University of Washington's CoMotion webinar on Fundamentals for Startups. An overwhelming number of American startups and enterprises have immigrant founders/co-founders. The US immigration system is complex and can present as a barrier for entrepreneurs, founders, and investors looking to bring their...

Thank you for tuning in to Tahmina Talks Immigration. I am excited to announce that my 2nd Edition Startup Visa book is out now and available here . The Startup Visa Series is also out with interviews from experts on the topic such as Brad Feld, Jason Wiens, Troy Vossellor, John Dearie, and many more.  In this episode, I have the honor of speaking with Social Justice Advocate, Mark M. Bello. Mark...

The Startup Visa Series is a series of interviews of thought leaders on startups, entrepreneurship, and immigration from around the world. Hear more about why they argue for the need for a startup visa. Guests include startup founders, venture capitalists, investors, policymakers, and others. This interview series coincides with the launch of the 2nd Edition of my book, The Startup Visa, available...

The Startup Visa Series is a series of interviews of thought leaders on startups, entrepreneurship, and immigration from around the world. Hear more about why they argue for the need for a startup visa. Guests include startup founders, venture capitalists, investors, policymakers, and others. This interview series coincides with the launch of the 2nd Edition of my book, The Startup Visa,  now avai...

The Startup Visa Series is a series of interviews of thought leaders on startups, entrepreneurship, and immigration from around the world. Hear more about why they argue for the need for a startup visa. Guests include startup founders, venture capitalists, investors, policymakers, and others. This interview series coincides with the launch of the 2nd Edition of my book, The Startup Visa,  now avai...